JOAQUIN PHOENIX
stars as a priest torn between his desire and his conscience, a man who is both
friend and foe to the Marquis De Sade. Phoenix most recently won widespread
acclaim in his far more venemous role in Ridley Scott's Roman epic
"Gladiator" opposite Russell Crowe. He will next be seen in James
Gray's "The Yards."

Phoenix is
brother to the late River Phoenix, and to sisters Summer, Rain and Liberty. He
spent his childhood on the move, and made his debut in commercials. His
breakthrough came with Nicole Kidman in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For."
The New York Times picked him as an actor to watch, citing his "raw,
anguished expressiveness." Pat O' Connor then chose him to star with Liv
Tyler in "Inventing the Abbotts."

More recently, he
has been seen in Joel Schumacher's "8MM" with Nicolas Cage, Oliver
Stone's "U Turn," "Return to Paradise" with Vince Vaughn and
Janeane Garafolo and "Clay Pigeons" with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche.